The title fight between Foreman and Joe Frazier in 1973 was the first for HBO. Its cameras were in Zaire, Africa, when Muhammad Ali rope-a-doped Foreman into submission and took away the heavyweight crown he'd wrested from Frazier.

HBO also was on hand when a 45-year-old Foreman, back in boxing after a 10-year retirement, knocked out Michael Moorer to become the oldest heavyweight champ.

Now, Lampley and analyst Larry Merchant will have to go it alone. Foreman, 55, made public his intention to retire from broadcasting months ago.

The thrill of offering expert fight analysis is still there, Foreman says. The love of the fight game also remains. But there is a compelling reason Foreman has decided to call it quits.

"I have a son who's in high school up in the Boston area, and he plays football," Foreman said. "He had an outstanding year this past year, ran for something like 800 yards. You know how many games I got to see him play? None. Not one."

Without the hectic HBO schedule and all the cross-country flying and demands on his time it entails, Foreman reasons, he'll now have the opportunity to watch George Foreman III do his thing on the football field. Big George says he'll have time to watch more closely all the youngsters from the Foreman household pursue their endeavors, dreams and goals.

As Lampley said last week, and Merchant seconded with Foreman standing nearby and smiling, "We're gonna miss you."

Amen to that.

AROUND THE RING

Reliant card on NBC

-- On April 24, NBC's
Budweiser Boxing Series
will take a swing through Reliant Stadium. Browning Boxing will join forces with
Main Events
Inc. and Budweiser to stage a nationally televised card that features Olympic silver medalist and undefeated featherweight
Rocky Juarez
of Houston.

Juarez (19-0, 14 knockouts) will take on Joe Morales of San Antonio in the 10-round main event. It will be the first fight card to be staged at Reliant Stadium.

Tickets for the event go on sale Monday. Prices are $27, $52 and $102. They may be purchased at all TicketMaster locations and the Reliant Park box office. Tickets also may be purchased by calling TicketMaster at 713-629-3700.

Pre-fight fights

Not against each other, mind you. That won't occur until Sept. 18. To reach that point, though, each must dispose of a separate opponent on a card to be staged in June at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Wonder what the odds are of Felix Sturm beating De La Hoya or Robert Allen taking out Hopkins to spoil the plan.

"This is another opportunity to show the world that Bernard Hopkins has continued to get younger and not older," said the 39-year-old Hopkins, the undisputed world middleweight champ.

De La Hoya, the five-time world champ, will have to step up a bit in weight class to face Hopkins.

"Let me tell you, this middleweight division, it's scary," he said. "But you know what? I love it. I love it because it's a new challenge."

Though he'll have to move up from 154 pounds, De La Hoya, 31, has a decided age advantage. Stay tuned.

Young fighters `find peace'

--
Ann Wolfe
has more to occupy her life than raising two young daughters as a single parent and training to fight and retain her world titles.

Wolfe, based in Austin, has a stable of young amateur fighters she trains. Several took part in the Golden Gloves tournament in San Antonio a week ago.

Each was fighting in a "big-time" tournament for the first time. Wolfe reports that five of her 10 fighters won silver medals and one won a gold medal in the sub-novice division. Angelina Vasquez took home her second straight GG title.

Wolfe's new nonprofit boxing gym opened in May of last year.

"These kids fight with heart and character like I do," Wolfe said. "They will keep fighting no matter what. Many of them have been homeless or been in trouble. They are looking for something, and this gym is where they can find peace."

W.H. Stickney Jr. covers boxing for the Chronicle. His notebook appears on Sundays.